Libya actions are constitutional, report says

The White House on Wednesday defended the constitutionality of US President Barack Obama's actions in Libya in a 30-page report sent to Congress in response to questions raised about the cost and scope of US involvement.

By News Wires (text)

AP - The White House said Wednesday that President Barack Obama has the authority to continue U.S. military action in Libya even without authorization from critical members of Congress.

In a detailed, 30-page report being sent to Congress, the administration was to make the case that the U.S. has a limited, support role in the NATO-led bombing campaign in Libya. Because U.S. forces are not engaged in sustained fighting and there are no troops on the ground there, the White House will say the president is within his U.S. constitutional rights to direct the mission on his own.

The administration’s defense of the Libya mission is in response to a non-binding House resolution passed earlier this month that chastised Obama for failing to provide a “compelling rationale” for U.S. involvement in Libya.

The resolution gave the administration until Friday to respond to a series of questions on the mission, including the scope of U.S. military activity, the cost of the mission, and its impact on other U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.